Rāma Kathā

From Nov 22 to 30 th , 2019, for 9 days, Adhyatma Vidya Mandir organized a Rāma Kathā in Tattvatirtha, with emphasis on Valmiki Ramayana, and the Kathā was narrated by Swami Govindadeva Giriji from Pune. Swami Govindadeva Giriji is a great scholar, and he is well versed with Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Śiva Purāṇam, Devī Purāṇam, and even Yoga Vaśiṣṭha, and therefore his discourses involved his vast knowledge of all these scriptures. And at the same time, he is a student of history, and a great committed devotee of Bhāratamātā, and so these discourses also involved different kinds of analyses which usually we do not come across. And so the kind of Rājanīti, politics, going on in the palaces, the nīti, meaning a life of values and ethics, relationships in the family and with others, leadership, all these aspects were brought out during this kathā. Swamiji was very adept in expressing various sentiments such as karuṇa (करुण) or tragedy, vīra rasa, heroism, or hāsya rasa, humor. All these bhāvas were very well expressed, and the whole audience was under his grip. From this program, everyone not only learnt a lot in terms of Rāmāyaṇa and the scriptures, but also in terms of values of life, the responsibilities that individuals have, not only with reference to family, but also with reference to the country etc. Also Swamiji is a bhakta, devotee, and therefore there was plenty of depiction of bhakti or devotion. He hails from Maharashtra, and therefore entertains a great reverence for the saints of Maharashtra, such as Santa Jñāneśvara, Santa Gulābarāo, and other saints of Maharashtra about whom also the audience learnt a lot. So this was a program, where we enjoyed not only the story of Rāmāyaṇa, but also the intricacies, and the very insightful expression of what is involved in the story, what is conveyed by the story, like reading between the lines. And so what exactly a given episode conveys in terms of history, in terms of life, in terms of values was very well depicted. This was a very learned and indepth discourse and Swami Govindadeva Giriji was able to communicate very well with the audience, and people enjoyed the whole program of 9 days.